Protective means against lightning



` F. A, FORD.

PROTECTIVE MEANS AGAmsT ummm.

APPLICATON FILED DECA19,`19!`8,

dreier RTECT'VE MEANS AGAINST LGJTNING.

Application filed December 19, 1918. Serial No. 267,494.

To all ywlw/mJ t may concern.'

Be it itnown that 1, FRANK A. Fono, a citizen of the United States,residing at Glenpool, in the county or' Tulsa end State of Oklahoma,have invented certain new and l useful improvements in Protective MeansAgainst Lightning, of which the following is e speciiication.

This invention is designed primarily for protecting oil tanks from beingstruck hy ightning and the contents thereof set on re. Obviously theinvention may be utilized for protecting tanks and analogous structures.

The drei-'wing illustrates a preferred emy1bodirnent of the invention,however, it is to loe understood lthat in adapting the same to meetdifferent conditions, various changes in the form, proportion, and minordetails of construction may be resorted to without de-l parting from thenature ot the invention as claimed hereinafter and as shown in theaccompenying drawing which. is a. 'perspec-u tive View of an oil tankembodying protective means constructed in accordance with the invention.@The tank l may be of any construction slide as gener-elly provided forholding oil :sie

in quantity is typical of any like structure adapted to oe protectedfrom being struck hy li,gglnxningr in accordance with the principles orthe present invention.

A plurality of posts f are set about the tank at stated intervals sindare let into the ground. T fittings o? applied to the upper ends of theposts -and the iatter are of e length so that the T uttngs are disposedsome distance lahcwe thetop of the tank; The T ttings are arranged withtwo oi their lornnches in line with the respective posts to which theyare attached and with the third branch disposed horizontally andreceiving en insuletor 4. .points or tips 5 are secured to the upperbranches of the T ittings and may he otA any material commonly employed.in the construction ot' iightning rods.

A. center post 6 connects wit'i the ta -k 1 find embodies a T-itting 7.A tip or Jroin 8 is connected. with the loreneh of the 5 i. rihe post Gmneist or a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. it?, @with length of pipe and may be utilized ns ineensfor venting the tank so as to prevent accumulation of was therein. Avent pipe 9 connects with the horizontal branch ol? the fitting 7 andcarries ofi' any accumulation of ges to a convenient point of discharge.A plate 10 is secured to the center portion of the top of the tank andserves as reinforcing means therefor and the post 6 is braced thereby.

A plate 11 is secured to the upper end or' the center post 6 and is ofconical 'torni and provided with redini ribs l2 to Awhich radici Wires13 are attached, said wires being con nected at their outer ends to theinsulators 4 and thence extending downwardly as indiceted at 14 andsecured at their lower ends to metal pegs 15 driven into the ground soas to discharge any lightning into the earth. Guy Wires 16 are connectedat their upper ends to the `l` ttings 3 and their lower ends areattached to stakes 17 driven into the ground some distance from theposts E2.

it will be imderstood that the protector is of such construction andarrangement as to envelop the tank or like structure and Iprevent thesame from being struck hy lightning, since the lattierwould he attractedby one or more of th points 5 and 8 end direc-ted to earth bytheconducting wires or like elements 13 and le. A. wire or like conductingelement 18 connects the uppcrends of the posts 2 lsind serves to holdthem apart the predetermined distance. This concluetor 18 may also serveto ground any lightnin that may he received thereby.

he foregoingr description and the drew ings have reference to what ineyloe considered the preferred, or approved, town oit my invention. It isto he understood that may make such changes in construction andarrangement and combination or ports, me teriels, dimensions, et cetera,as inayvprove expedientv and fell within the scope of the appendedclaim.

Having thus fully described my invention, What/'lf cla-im as new `anddesire to secure by Letters Patent ish-rrv Protective means of the'character set forth, comprising e. center post provided with a lightningattracting tip or point,

eonlea pluie supported upon the upper and und pressing downwardly and'grounded ed oi me eener post :md mvmgg; radial rlbs, Huur lower ends.

oher posts grouped about the center post lfm estimonf whereof my Signa-:uxd provided uit their upper ends with lg'h' hire, in presen@ of nwoWitnesses.

5 ning attracting points or tips, lightning' con- F'RNK A.. FORD.

(Motors eomleeed with flle, ribs of the smid Jmesetes: piede undradiating therefrom :md conuoeed J'. U TH-@M7 ui their ouixor @nds $0the surrounding posts v G. C. T'A'r'ol

